Grow. Eat. Learn.

You may have noticed over the past few weeks that there have been a few changes to the Tucker Patch website, including a fresh new look and extra sections such as ﻿recipes﻿, a regular blog, updates on what's happening in the Tucker Patch garden and more. We also plan to feature gardening advice from our growers and readers, so if you have any natural remedies or tips to beat the frost, or combat bugs and diseases, please send them in so we can share them.I’d like to also introduce myself as the new Webmaster.

Hugo (my wonderful partner who is originally from Chile), and I moved to Gloucester from Gulgong six months ago and we love it here. We have wonderful neighbours, and have met some lovely people who have made us feel very welcome.

Hugo and I were particularly pleased and excited when we found The Tucker Patch and quickly became members only a week after we arrived.

I grew up on my family’s farm and my childhood was both educational and priceless – although I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time! My mother was a wonderful cook and had a cupboard from ceiling to floor just for her preserves. My two sisters and I would have to go and collect fruit, berries or whatever was ready for picking from Dad’s vegie garden for Mum to preserve. I thought she was being a bit hard at the time, when all we wanted to do was build a cubby house in the trees!

But now I say – thank you Mum. Today, just like my mother, I love to see my pantry full of preserves. The wonderful local produce from the Tucker Patch lets me continue preserving, as well as making delicious fresh, plant-based meals, smoothies and all sorts of other treats. And the best part is I know where it has come from and it is free of chemicals and pesticides – a bonus that will surely help us reach our goal of achieving 100 years of age!

- Lorraine Lawler

PS: If any of our growers or readers have any natural tips to beat the frost, or combat bugs or disease in the garden, please let me know so we can share!

While still hot place gramma, eggs, cream, sugar and spices in a processor and whiz until smooth. Line a pie plate with short crust pastry. Pour cool gramma into the half cooked pastry shell base, cover top of pie with more pastry squishing the two edges together, not forgetting to make a rose and leaves for the top of your pie, brush top of pie with egg or milk and bake in a moderate oven until pastry is golden brown, Cool, serve with cream or ice cream, or just top with your favourite nuts and fresh whipped cream.

Our Working Bee this month was attended by ten people (or was it eleven?) and next time you visit you will immediately see the results.

A lovely new herb garden has been planted just behind the Farmgate Stall and the surrounding areas now look as neat as a pin, thanks to the group of "gardening" volunteers. New plants in the blank spots beside the carpark are also looking hopefully up at the sunshine. And the packing shed has had a new lease of life, with all that "stuff" that's been collecting over the past year being cleared out, and everything dusted, tidied and cleaned - thanks to the group of "housework" volunteers!